News of the day from across the nation, Oct. 9

Chronicle News Services

Updated 6:56 pm, Thursday, October 8, 2015

1Screening refugees:FBI Director James Comey says the government has learned how to better screen refugees from foreign countries to ensure they don’t pose terrorism or other risks to the United States. Comey was asked about the Syrian refugee crisis during an appearance Thursday before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The Obama administration last month said it would greatly increase the number of worldwide migrants it takes in over the next two years, including many from war-torn Syria. Comey says the U.S. has “developed an effective way to touch all our databases” and gather information about the individuals.

2 Wrong execution drug: Oklahoma used the wrong drug to stop an inmate’s heart during an execution in January, according to an autopsy report obtained by a newspaper. The Oklahoman reported Thursday that corrections officials used potassium acetate — not potassium chloride, as required under the state’s protocol — to execute Charles Frederick Warner. Last week, Gov. Mary Fallin issued a stay for inmate Richard Glossip after officials discovered that potassium acetate had been delivered for his scheduled execution. All executions are on hold as the state investigates the mix-up.

3 Walter Scott settlement: Officials in North Charleston, S.C., have reached a $6.5 million settlement with the family of Walter Scott, the unarmed black man whom a bystander video captured being shot in the back by a white police officer after fleeing a traffic stop on foot in March, according to the Scott family. His death was one of half a dozen cases of unarmed black men being killed by police officers that sparked protests in dozens of cities and prompted new discussions of police transparency.

4Murdoch apology: The founder of the global News Corp. media empire, Rupert Murdoch, issued an apology Thursday after he faced social media backlash following his suggestion that President Obama isn’t a “real black president.” Murdoch was praising Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson and his wife on Twitter on Wednesday when he wrote: “Ben and Candy Carson terrific. What about a real black President who can properly address the racial divide?” Murdoch, who founded Fox News Channel, tweeted that he “personally find(s) both men charming.”

5Stolen cars: Authorities say an 18-year-old Florida man drove a stolen car to police headquarters to pick up court papers about a previous auto theft he was involved in — documents that were found in yet another stolen car. Carnell Eugene Butler now faces charges in three stolen car cases. St. Petersburg police say officers found a stolen Infiniti. Inside, they found Butler’s documents related to a June auto theft arrest. Detectives contacted Butler, who arranged to pick them up. When he arrived at police headquarters, a detective found keys to a Hyundai Sonata in his pocket. It, too, had been stolen.